Olympics-2008

BEIJING -- France prevailed dark horse Iceland 28-23 on Sunday to win its first ever Olympic gold medal in men's handball.

Both teams paid much attention to their defence at the beginning of the game, tying 2-2 eight minutes into the match. The Icelanders, who were known for their sharp attack, appeared nail-biting in front of French solid defending line, with their top scorer Snorri Steinn Gudjonsson only netting once before the break.

The French side launched a 5-0 surge midway into the first half to build up their advantage. Left back Nikola Karabatic, newly elected IHF World Handball Player of the Year in 2007, converted four goals from four shots to give "Les bleus" a 15-10 lead.

Karabatic continued his sound shape after the game resumed, added another four points to top the scoring list. The five points' margin was retained till the end of the game.

France's previous best Olympic showing was a bronze in the 1992 Barcelona Games, but it won the European title in 2006 and world championship title in 1995 and 2001.

Being an underdog in the handball world, Iceland had taken part in Olympic handball tournaments for five times, with the best placing being the fourth in 1992 in Barcelona.

The silver was not only the Icelanders' first Olympic handball medal, but also the only medal earned by the Nordic country in Beijing.

The bronze medal went to Spain, who upset defending champion Croatia 35-29.

Hungary beat the United States 14-10 to win the Olympic men's water polo gold meda on Sunday. Serbia beat Montenegro 6-4 for the bronze.

Italian Roberto Cammarelle beat Chinese Zhang Zhilei to win the Olympic boxing super heavy weight gold medal on Sunday.

Spain's Pau Gasol (L) vies with USA's Kobe Bryant during the men's basketball gold medal match Spain against The US of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 at the Olympic basketball Arena in Beijing. USA won the [Agencies]

The United States defeated Spain 118-107 to take the men'sbasketballgold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games on Sunday.

The bronze medal went to Argentina who downed Lithuania 87-75.


Kobe Bryant of the US and Pau Gasol of Spain battle for position during the mens' basketball final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 24, 2008. [Agencies]


Lebron James (L), Deron Williams (C) and Carlos Boozer of the US celebrate after defeating Spain in their men's basketball final game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 24, 2008. [Agencies]


Spain's Pau Gasol (L) vies with USA's Kobe Bryant during the men's basketball gold medal match of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 24, 2008 in Beijing. USA won the final. [Agencies]


Chris Paul (top) jumps on his US team mates as they celebrate defeating Spain in their men's basketball final game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 24, 2008. [Agencies]


US players celebrate (R) while the Spanish team console each other after the men's gold medal basketball game at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 24, 2008. The U.S. defeated Spain to take the gold medal while Spain gets the silver. [Agencies]


Chris Bosh of the US goes up for a basket against Marc Gasol of Spain during the mens' basketball final at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 24, 2008. [Agencies]


USA's Paul Chris (L) vies with Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro during their men's basketball gold medal match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing. [Agencies]


USA's Dwyane Wade goes for a dunk during the men's basketball gold medal match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 24, 2008 in Beijing. [Agencies]

Chinese Zhang Xiaoping beat Ireland's Kenny Egan to win the Olympic light weight (81kg) gold medal at the Olympic Games on Sunday.

Kazakhstan's Bakhyt Sarsekbayev beat Cuban Carlos Banteaux Suarez to win the Olympic boxing welter (69kg) gold medal on Sunday.

BEIJING -- Bantamweight Badar-Uugan Enkhbat has won Mongolia's first gold medal in boxing, beating Cuba's Yankiel Leon 16-5.

Enkhbat surged to an early lead Sunday with thousands of raucous Mongolian fans behind him. He easily held off Leon, the third Cuban to lose a gold-medal bout in less than 24 hours.

Enkhbat, the world championship runner-up, captured just the second Olympic gold medal in any sport for Mongolia. Tuvshinbayar Naidan won the first in judo last week.

Yankiel Leon (R) of Cuba fights Enkhbat Badar-Uugan of Mongolia during their bantamweight (54kg) final boxing match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 24, 2008. [Agencies]

BEIJING -- The United States men's volleyball team turned tragedy into triumph in Beijing by defeating defending champion Brazil 3-1 for the Olympic gold medal.

US player Lloy Ball celebrates a point against Brazil during the men's volleyball gold medal match in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 24, 2008. [Agencies]

With the 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory Sunday, the US team went undefeated in the competition. It is their third gold medal in the sport.

Brazil, the top-ranked team in the world and two-time gold medalists, settled for the silver.

The incredible US run came after coach Hugh McCutcheon's father-in-law was fatally stabbed in Beijing the day before competition started. McCutcheon missed the team's first three games to be with his family.


Brazil's Sergio Santos (C) and teammates celebrate a point against the US during the men's volleyball gold medal math in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 24, 2008. [Agencies]

Zou Shiming has won China's first gold medal in boxing after Mongolian light flyweight Serdamba Purevdorj retired early in the second round of their title bout with an apparent shoulder injury.

Zou Shiming (L) celebrates his victory over Mongolia's Serdamba Purevdorj during their Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Light Flyweight (48 kg) final boxing bout on August 24, 2008 in Beijing. [Agencies]

Zou had a 1-0 lead after a tentative first round Sunday, but the Mongolian coach threw in the towel just 19 seconds into the second. Purevdorj had been fighting with his right arm handing limply at his side, though he was able to throw some punches with it.

Zou's victory fulfills four years of high expectations for the two-time world champion, whose bronze medal in Athens was China's first in a sport long banned by Mao.